The sandstone walls of the National Art School (NAS) are a familiar sight to generations of LGBTQIA+ Sydneysiders. Sitting at the heart of Oxford Street, Darlinghurst, NAS has been silent witness to the decades-long evolution of queer rights and queer culture in the Harbour City.
On Gadigal Land and occupying the buildings of the former Darlinghurst Gaol for over 100 years now, NAS is one of the finest art schools in the country and the alma mater of many of Australia's most successful artists. For WorldPride, it's hosting a veritable fiesta of free art exhibitions and related events, collectively titled Queer Contemporary, that celebrate the work of LGBTQIA+ Australian artists, both living and sadly departed.
Braving Time: Contemporary Art in Queer Australia (Feb 3-Mar 18) takes over the main NAS Gallery, highlighting the work of great artists who identify as lesbian, gay, transgender, inter-sex, asexual and non-binary. Thirty-one are represented, including Tony Albert, Brook Andrew, Vivienne Binns, Leigh Bowery, Gary Carsley, Brenton Heath-Kerr, Nell, Troye Sivan, Ali Tahayori and William Yang, to name a few.
Five new video works curated by EO Gill are the subject of Fulgora (Feb 3-Mar 5) over in the Rayner Hoff Project Space, while Luke Thurgate: Adore You (Feb 3-Mar 18) sees NAS alumnus Luke Thurgate drawing large-scale mural works directly onto the walls of the Drawing Gallery, inspired by the famous 15th-century Ghent Altarpiece by Hubert and Jan van Eyk.
Two exhibitions showcase interiors as sites for contemplation. Transforming the NAS Café, Macon Reed: Eulogy for the Dyke Bar (Feb 16-Mar 5) is an installation by US artist Macon Reed in the style of the US lesbian bars of yesteryear, connecting to Sydney’s LGBTQIA+ communities through a vibrant public program to spark conversations and encourage reflection on the past and future. Meanwhile Ward 17 South in NAS Building 11 (Feb 17-Mar 5), a project led by history and culture organisation Qtopia, recreates the HIV/AIDS ward established in 1984 at St Vincent’s Hospital across the road from the art school.
A free Block Party (Thu Feb 16, 6-10pm) on the NAS campus will feature a stellar line-up of Sydney’s finest queer artists including RuPaul’s Drag Race star Queen Kong. This launch plus all of the above exhibitions are free events.
Feeling conflicted on Valentine’s Day? Join artist EJ Son’s special hands-on workshop, It's Complicated (Tue Feb 14, 6-8pm) to create your own musical anti-Valentine’s card, honouring the non-binary, non-normative loves of your life – tickets are $40. Art Phoenix (Fri Mar 3, 6pm) in the Cell Block Theatre is an exhibition and fundraiser in partnership with the Bobby Goldsmith Foundation, the culmination of a series of drawing workshops led by Luke Thurgate for members of the BGF community living with HIV.